This mascot makes $625,000 a year!

The NBA offers a lot of spectacle. In the best basketball league in the world, it’s not just Steph Curry, LeBron James and Co. who provide highlights on the floor.

When the game is interrupted, a real show takes place on the pitch. Cheerleaders, DJs, sometimes fans and of course the club’s mascots provide plenty of entertainment.

As it turns out, the latter in particular can be royally rewarded for their entertainment in the NBA. According to «Boardroom», the Denver mascot «Rocky the Mountain Lion» earns an unbelievable $625,000 a year!

The mountain lion of the Denver Nuggets — with two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic — is the league’s highest-paid mascot.

On average, the entertainers earn around 60,000 dollars a year. So Rocky is ten times that.

And not without reason: the mountain lion is considered a super mascot with daring acrobatic stunts.

“Rocky” also appears in schools as part of the Nuggets’ community programs. On behalf of the NBA, he has appeared at the All-Star Game and at several international events.

#2 on the mascot payroll is “Harry the Hawk” from the Atlanta Hawks. His salary: $600,000.

“Benny the Bull”, mascot of the Chicago Bulls, collects $ 400,000. “Go the Gorilla” (Phoenix Suns, $200,000) and “Hugo the Hornet” (Charlotte Hornets, $100,000) follow.

Of course, the Nuggets not only charge a lot of money for their mascots, but also for their best basketball player. Nikola Jokic signed a 2023 contract this summer that will bring him $264 million through 2028 – an NBA record.

In the 23/24 season, the Serb’s salary should start at around 46 million. Then it increases year after year: In the last season, Jokic earned around 60 million dollars.